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<br />With the other water development leaders he saw to the establishment of the South-
<br />eastern Colorado Water Conservancy Districtl in April of 1958. This man in his
<br />time, gave a decade of water service to the Fryingpan Project. His untimely death
<br />last Spring was of inestimable loss. His knowledge~ experience and abilities of
<br />public relations and as a legislative consultant. opened Congressicnal and legislative
<br />doors in Washington and Denver. He told, explained, and argued the Fryingpan case
<br />to the people seen in countless water meetings, State and National. He spared neither
<br />himself or others to reach the Fryingpan water. It was logical and imperative that he
<br />became the first General Manager of the District. His life work was to bring mountain
<br />waters to his peoples. Here was a water giant and so recognized. He does not now or
<br />in the future deserve abuse or criticism from any source. This Board gave him full
<br />authorization to get the job done without reservations. He did just that, and with no
<br />personat gain.
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<br />The Fryingpan project is one of the largest of all Reclamation undertakings. Could
<br />another similar project of this. magnitude be obtained today? The last two sessions
<br />of Congress? Next year? The answer is an emphatic NO to all questions, even if
<br />there were trans mountain waters available. Ask yourself why? Could this ever be
<br />done again without men like Boustead? The Conservancy D~strict? Most of this
<br />Board was on that team. Can you ever forget the bitter frustrations and crushing
<br />defeats the Fryingpan suffered in it's ten long years before Congress? The Fryingpan
<br />has been and still is. to many. an obsession. To proponents and opponents alike it
<br />became a way of life. ~just another ~ project. It was the greatest single
<br />challenge in this Valley's history, which is rich in sacrifices of courageous people.
<br />But the day of victory finally came! Almost exactly four years ago, the Bill author-
<br />izing the. Fryingpan was signed by President John F. Kennedy, who came to this place
<br />to help in the Valleyrs celebration. It was the best day of our lives. The era of pro-
<br />motion and struggles were over. The waters would be on their way across the
<br />mountains in less time than it took to get the authorization to build the Project. There
<br />would be the matters of obtaining the annual appropriations for it's construction, the
<br />repayment contract, and innumerable detailed other water matters relative to the
<br />Project. But the big task was in the past. So we may have wished! This Board spent
<br />many months of complicated meetings on the repayment contract. Finally, it was
<br />signed, after mutually agreed changes, and this District was committed to repay in
<br />a fifty year period some 60 millions of dollars to the united States. Construction was
<br />s.oon under way and the Fryingpan seemed to be out of the fire for the first time in it's
<br />turbulent history. Not so! It was found that legislative action for the protection of itls
<br />waters was absolutely necessary in order that this District could sell and deliver
<br />project waters downstream from the Pueblo Reservoir. Again this Board acted and
<br />called upon itls Manager, Charles Boustead to get the legislation necessary to protect
<br />project waters and the surface flows as well. Our intention in this matter was publicly
<br />announced in advance. As a result, Bill 1066 came out of the Legisl.ature and was
<br />signed by Governor Love. This Bill is simply a reaffirmation of the basic Consti-
<br />tutional water laws of Colorado .with the provisions that the State Engineer administer
<br />the waters of Colorado accordingly. Around this action, controversy against the
<br />District Board began. The Board remembers no complaints in getting the Fryingpan
<br />Project approved, but to reasonably protect these new imported waters apparently
<br />did not fit in the development and speculative schemes of a certain few. This Board
<br />understands that the pump people of the District are also assessed a four-tenths 0 mill
<br />levy along with the thousands of other water using taxpayers in the District. We also
<br />recognize their problem and believe ways must be found to permit pumping UBe, under
<br />regulation and controls, by the same rules and. laws that have applied to the use of
<br />surface water rights for the past centuTY. We affirm the need to use the underground
<br />watet:"s under safe conditions of withdrawal. This dilemma will not be solved by
<br />vilifications and contentions that will be the cause of a disastrous water war. We
<br />point Qut that the errors of water administration before 1965 is not of this Boards
<br />making. The pumping group, or any group. we freely admit has a right to complain
<br />and object to the actions of this Board at any time. but their under Jround rights to
<br />surface percolating waters are not so clear. The District Board did not write the
<br />Constitutional water laws of Colorado. This Board in it's official actions did not
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